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The book contains two historical records of the early 17th century, about the Joseon Tongsinsa. Record of Joseon Embassies to Japan 『慶長十二年従朝鮮之勅使於紫野宿之事』 in 1607, and Record of Diplomatic Trip 『寛永元甲子年朝鮮信使来聘江戸往来日帳』 in 1624. Both are Documents of the Sō clan(Sō: the family that ruled Tsushima), and the original is owned by the Tokyo National Museum.

Among the records of the late Joseon period, which recorded the relationship between Joseon and Japan, one of the representative documents related to Tongsinsa is 『Tongsinsa Deungrok』. This is the literature that deals with the whole process of Diplomatic Trip and the most records about Diplomatic Trip. 『Tongsinsa Deungrok』 is edited by Jeongaeksa(under the Yejo: The Ministry of Culture and Education of Joseon Dynasty), which was in charge of foreign relations affairs. Currently, Seoul National University Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies has a total of 14 manuscripts. These books include the preparation, dispatch, and return of each Diplomatic Trip, and contains official records written by Gyeongsanggamsa, Dongnaebusa, Yejo, Bibyunsa(the Office of Border Defense) and Seungjeongwon(the Royal Secretariat).

Historical materials, writings, and paintings related to Tongsinsa exist in Japan, among which Tsushima Domain left the most abundant historical materials in the form of records. Everything was natural for Tsushima Domain, that invited Tongsinsa to Japan with the permission of the Shogunate, delivered the sovereign's message of the Joseon King at Edo Castle to Shogun, and escorted Tongsinsa until he returned to Joseon. Tsushima Domain realized that rules and regularities that have been passed on from ancient times is important when performing diplomacy in the process of enter into friendly relations with Joseon. Tsushima wanted to leave all the situations as records and make it the basis of judgment later. Diplomatic Trip was no exception.

Among the ancient books, which are commonly referred to as ‘Documents of the Sō clan’, records about Tongsinsa are distributed and preserved in Keio University Library, Tokyo National Museum, and National Institute of Korean History. But if we look at the Records of Tongsinsa, which is owned by three institutions, Tsushima started a full-scale record from the Diplomatic Trip of 1636. Records of the Diplomatic Trip in 1607 and 1624 are in the Tokyo National Museum, but no historical materials has been found recording the Diplomatic Trip in 1617. Tongsinsa Deungrok, compiled by Joseon, also records from the Diplomatic Trip of 1643. The earliest records described only about tongsinsa, which was conducted after the Imjin War(Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592), will be nothing but two historical materials introduced in this book.

Saroseunggudo(槎路勝區圖): Thirty places in Japan where Tongsinsa visited

ⓒNational Museum of Korea

The first historical material 『慶長十二年従朝鮮之勅使於紫野宿之事』 records some of the Tongsinsa schedules of 1607. Tongsinsa of 1607 is composed of: Chief envoy Yeo Woo-gil, Deputy chief envoy Gyeong Seom, Diplomatic aide Jeong Ho-gwan, Interpreter Kim Hyo-soon, Park Dae-geun, and Han Deok-nam. The reason why the Joseon Tongsinsa visited Japan was ‘recovering diplomatic relations’. Since the Imjin War, the relationship between the two countries has been strained and the first Tongsinsa was dispatched, so it is very meaningful. However, since the war is just over, the record system is not yet established, so the contents are outlined and rough, and the author is unclear.

This historical materials records the process from Tongsinsa's arrival in Kyoto on April 12 and stay in Daitokuji, arriving in Edo in May and delivering a sovereign's message of King Seonjo of Joseon to Shogun Hidetada, and departing Osaka by ship on June 11.
The main content of this material is about the exchange of Joseon Tongsinsa with high-ranking officials or diplomatic monks of the Shogunate during their stay in Kyoto, diplomatic rituals in Edo, and rituals held at the residence of Ieyasu, a retired Shogun. Tongsinsa in 1607 was a historical diplomatic event that re-established diplomatic relations with King Seonjo and Shogun in the state of the disconnection of exchanges between Joseon and Japan due to the Imjin War. It is the intention of this book to look at the process through Tsushima's historical materials.

The second historical material 『寛永元甲子年朝鮮信使来聘江戸往来日帳』 recorded a part of the schedule of Tongsinsa in 1624. Tongsinsa of 1624 is composed of: Chief envoy Jeong Nip, Deputy chief envoy Kang Hong-joong, Diplomatic aide Shin Gye-young, Interpreter Park Dae-geun, Lee Eon-seo, Park Eon-hwang, Kang Woo-sung, and Hong Hee-nam. Sahaengrok(the Record of Diplomatic Trip) written by Kang Hong-joong is Dongsarok.

The reason why the Joseon Tongsinsa was ‘Congratulations on the inauguration of the third Shogun Iemitsu’. This historical material starts on September 14, just before Tongsinsa departs from Joseon, goes through Tsushima, and in mid-December, records the presents to the ministers of the Shogunate as well as Shogun.
If these two historical materials are used in comparison with the literature of Joseon that recorded Diplomatic Trips of 1607 and 1624, it will be a meaningful work for the study of the relations between Joseon and Japan in the first half of the 17th century. NAHF has published 『The Historical Compilation of the Relationship between Korea and Japan in the Modern Age I. II』, a collection of modern and Japanese relations since 2015. We hope that this Historical Compilation III, which is published on the subject of the record on Joseon Tongsinsa, will be actively used as a basic data for the study on Joseon Tongsinsa.